Curtain-fastening for carriages



G. FOGKLER. Curtain-Fastening for Carriages.

No. 227,752. I Patented May 18, 1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

CHARLES romance,

or DU'BU UE, IOWA.

CURTAIN-FASTENING FOR 'CARRIA GES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,752, dated May 18,1880.

Application filed January 22,1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FQOKLER, of Dubuque, in the county ofDubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful [Inprovementin Back Quarter-Curtain Fastenings for Carriages and,I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to provide convenient means for securelyfastening the back quarter-curtains of a carriage at their lower endseither to the shifting-rail or to the back of the seat in an adjustablemanner, so that whether the curtains stretch or become contracted in useor loose from any cause they may be held with a sufficient tension.

The novelty in this improvement consists mainly in a clamp by which thelower ends of the back quartencurtains are firmly held at any desiredpoint also, in adapting the shifting-rail of the carriage so that theback quarter-curtains may be secured upon the same by means of the clampbefore referred to 5 also, in combining such shifting-rail with theclamp, and in such other operative combinations of the various essentialelements as are hereinafter more particularly described and claimed. 1

In order that those skilled in the state of the art may know how to makeand use this improvement, the same is now fully explained in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view from therear of the carriage-top. Fig. 2 is a separate view from the rear of oneof the shifting-rails, and Fig. 3a separate view of the clamp looking atthe inside of the same.

Similar letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

In the drawings, the back quarter-curtains, A, are shown as secured uponthe top of the carriage to its lbows, and extending down in the rear toa point a little below the rear portions of the shifting-rail B. Theseback quarter-curtains may be made of the size, form, and materialusually employed for such purposes.

The shifting-rail is bent around to the rear of the back of the seat adistance sufficient for the width of the back quarter curtain adapted tobe fastened to it, and at its extreme end is secured to the back of theseat by a proper strap or clip, a. Upon the outer side of this rail, andextending longitudinally and preferably in the center thereof, is abead, b, which is perforated with several screw-holes, c.

A clamp, O, has a groove, d, in its interior face, corresponding withthe head I), and extending through the clamp and the groovearescrew-holes 0, corresponding in number and position with thescrew-holes c.

D are screws or equivalent means adapted to pass through the backquarter-curtains and into the shifting-rail B, by, means of which thelower extremity of the back quarter-curtains may be securely held inplace with any desired tension.

It is apparent that this clamp described may be made with small hooks orpoints or serrations, or the rear side of the shifting-rail may beconstructed in a similar way, instead of employing the head I) andthegroove 01, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

It is also apparent that the shiftin g-rail need not be bent-around tothe rear, as described 5 but the same effect may be produced by securingthe. back quarter-curtains by means of the clamp directly upon the rearof the seat-back or upon some fixture secured directly to the same. I

In the use of this invention one of the back quarter-curtains may havebecome either contracted or stretched in use, and it is desired to haveabetter tension of the same. The screws D being loosened, the lowerextremity of the back quarter-curtains may be pulled down in anyconvenient Way to the point desired, and the clamp G, with such screwsor their equivalents, will hold the back quarter-curtains in the preciseposition desired.

While this device is intended mainly for removable tops and for those ofcheap construction, it is apparent that the same may be used without anynew invention for calash-tops.

Among the advantages which this improve ment possesses over the oldmethod of fasten ing the back quarter-curtains by means of and the clamp(J, constructed and arranged to buttons may be enumerated that offastening the curtain along its entire Width, whereby the strain comesupon every part, and not upon a few points, where buttons are usuallyplaced, and, principally, the great convenience effected in the means oftightening the curtains at any time when it becomes desirable.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed as new therein,and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination ofthe shifting-rail B operate substantially as described.

2. The combination of the quarter-curtains 15 A, the shifting-rail B,and the clamp 0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 15th day of January, 1880.

CHARLES FOOKLER.

Witnesses:

MONROE M. GADY, O. N. PACKARD.

